I've recently been doing a word study on the power of words. In Proverbs 2:23, we are admonished to "guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life." We all know that what we think in our heart, we often speak. Few words are better than many words. And on and on I could go.
The God I serve really has a sense of humor. Sunday evening: I am cozied down on my "Princess" chair - that's what my crowning glories call my chaise lounge - watching the 2nd game of the NBA basketball finals (go Spurs!) when I hear the tinkling of water. Being a curious type princess, I get up to see what could possible be tinkling in my apartment with that much volume. (Remember, I am a single Lynnie with no roommates!) Wow! Water, as in a wellspring, is falling from the ceiling of my laundry closet! It had already soaked the hall carpet and was really making headway. Folks, I honestly thought it was falling from overhead....I ran up stairs to alert my apparently clueless neighbors only to find out they were not at home. Back down the stairs I run, put in an emergency call to my apartment on this at-one-time-peaceful Sunday evening, only to reach the answering service. She s-l-o-w-l-y takes the information, so s-l-o-w-l-y that I actually say, "M'am, there is a lot of water falling around me, do you think you could write faster?" She couldn't, nor could she dial/page/beep or otherwise get excited about my predicament.
30 minutes later, still no response from maintenance. I call again to be assured that maintenance has been paged. "M'am," I say, "did you talk to a person or just page someone?" That was a very confusing question for her, so I hang up and check out the hallway, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom of my "haven." (I also quickly checked the score - go Spurs!)
At this stage I decided to do what most moms do - I call my kids. No one answered. I did not leave messages, I just thought - maintenance will be here soon. Precious daughter and son-in-love did call me back and arrived to give me words of encouragement shortly thereafter. I think they were shocked!
I call again to the turtle service, uh, answering service. This time Ms. Slowpoke asked if I'd like to talk to a supervisor. Who knew - answering services have supervisors - Not! She put me on hold! I hung up and dialed 9-1-1.
9-1-1: What is your emergency?
I quickly let them know it is not life threatening and I apologized for bothering them (can you spell codependent?). They listen to my problem and took my information (quickly, I might add!) and said they would call the apartment complex and get back with me.
About 10 minutes later, the precious 9-1-1 operator called to ask if the maintenance calvery had arrived. Bless her heart, she actually seemed shocked that they had not! She was so sympathetic and encouraged me to keep calling the answering service and also to call them with my results. (I am thankful that it was a slow night in the town I live in - at least for the law enforcement agencies - water was seeping up to my ankles in The Haven.) The Spurs were romping them! Yes!
Well, long story short - The maintenance calvery arrived about 3 hours later - discovered that the water was actually coming from MY laundry closet, not the one above me. Although I felt a little blonde, I also know that maintenance issues have never been my gift - I am not a plumber, I am lethal with most tools. Sidenote: I am a very together business professional with three beautiful crowning glories. Who knew that a water hose could break in a not-being-used-washer and flood an apartment? By this time, the Spurs had won Game 2!
Well, the most precious carpet calvery men showed up and after vacuuming over 100 gallons of water out of my water logged apartment, left to rest up around 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning. My apartment is in totally disarray, fans are blowing their darnedest to dry out the carpet, all the carpet pads have been trashed, it's hot and humid in the Haven and I am camping out at my precious daughter's apartment (thank you, son-in-love, for camping out at your mom's while we dry out).
My words have mostly been gracious to all those involved in the response/non-response to my crisis. I only had one tense moment in which no one got hurt! I am grateful for insurance - I know in the wellspring of my heart that everything I own belongs to the Giver of all. (I apologize, Giver of all, your things are a little wet right now.) I now have an opportunity to really clean up the place and get rid of the amazing amount of treasures that can be collected in one's life. It will be at least 3 days before the furniture can be moved back in place and 2 weeks before the insurance adjuster will arrive.
May my words continue to be gracious in the days ahead! Stay tuned!
Once I dried off (very different from drying out - LOL), I took some of my belongings, spent a few nights with my darling daughter, moved to the waiting place, called the insurance company, called a lawyer (that's another post), and settled in to wait for the drying and decisions to take place. 
